The Stone of the Sun
by Ashbug22
Summary: In the Kawaru region, each quadrant only has one season year round. Kiya and others must protect the region from a coming evil by protecting stones that control this seasonal balance. Dark romance, character driven. Alt universe where N is named Kane. He is more villainous and has lived a life that has darkened him...
1. Chapter 1: Stolen Diamond

Chapter 1: Stolen Diamond

Always had it lured her. Amber glitters and flickers, vibrant strokes of crimson licking the open night air, and bashful pinks seen only by the most long studied admirer. The warmth, the heat had a strange way of sending chills down her bones. It was an intoxicating place that seemed so familiar.. yet seemed so mysterious and threatening. It was a strange place for Kiya, a young woman at age twenty, yet it was a place she could not seem to stay away from either. Kiya paced around the uneven, black surface, circling in a restless manner.

Many times had she been here, usually in the dead of night, when sleep evaded her and fire whispered her name. The bubbling lava entranced her by its beauty and left her in awe by its power. The volcano was an active one, occasionally allowing its contents to run down its north side toward the pokemon inhabited bad lands. The bad lands were made up of active lava, hardened lava and burned land. It was a perfect place for fire type pokemon. People themselves did not dwell there. Due to the structure of the volcano, lava tended to only make its way to the north side, to the bad lands. The jungle in the west generally remained unharmed and was filled with life. The east and south of the volcano was encompassed by a vacation destination city called Callani. Callani was a tropical warm city that on one end had the volcano and on the other had a large river that branched from the ocean. This city had not been touched by their volcano for thousands of years, only ancient peoples depict a time their volcano turned against them. But that was in the accident days when The Great Darkness had taken place. In modern times, most saw the volcano as a tourist attraction rather than a threat. Reverence for the volcano was a lost tradition few still practiced. This woman, fire eyed and dark haired, was a different story.

Kiya circled tonight, restless and uneven. Often the volcano beckoned to her and made her as restless as a prowling Pyroar. Other times it was a sweet escape, a warm, nurturing being that brought comfort and rest. Other times a simple, beautiful pleasure. When the night was old and free of other beings Kiya snuck up to her part time friend but full time foe and enjoyed its company. Tonight was such a night, except… it was different than the rest. The air was harsher and thinner. The lava bubbled menacingly, not in spite but in warning. It stuck fear in Kiya, forming a lump deep in her throat as she paced, wild with anticipation. Something was coming, something was changing in the very air. Kiya stopped pointedly and turned toward the eye of the volcano. She stared into it eagerly but with fierceness.

The volcano smoldered under her eyes, speaking, angry and letting out sharp warning hisses as bubbles of lava pop. The sight sent her legs shaking with not only fear but a strange excitement. Her connection to the land, particularly this volcano had always been unusual for the time and area, in fact, spiritual, much like old native peoples.

"I can take it" she whispered to the volcano, afraid, but certain. In what seemed like a reaction, the lava grew even more threatening. It began to swirl, rumble and sway. The lava seemed to draw nearer to her as it attempted to leave its container made of earth. Kiya stumbled backward, unable to stand the intense heat of the nearing lava. From deep in the earth the lava ventured to the surface, at an increasing rate before it emptied out the northern end, via a path carved by thousands of years of volcanic eruptions.

The heat was too intense; Kiya was in too close a proximity of the gushing lava to be safe. Beads of sweat trickled down her breast as she headed for the southern exit, off the volcano and toward Callani city. However the heat was draining her quickly, sucking out her energy. It wanted her there. She had accepted and the volcano now intended to claim her. The friend, the foe.

This was the last thing Kiya remembered before the smoke of the volcano faded to black and the heat filled her body entirely.

* * *

"Oh thank Arceus!" cried a shrill female voice.

Slowly Kiya's world came into a fuzzy blur of color with ambiguous, frantic noises. Soon those noises became voices and the fuzzy colors became familiar faces within a bright white hospital room.

"Kiya Lilianna Diamond" sounded a gruff, deep male voice as Kiya blinked and attempted to sit her body upward in the white hospital bed.

"Kiya, sweetie pie! You are awake, oh honey I was so worried!" cried the shrill voice that belonged to a blonde woman with large bright red lips and a tiny frame. She chest was unnaturally bulbous and her skin unnaturally tight. Everything on her seemed unnaturally too big or unnaturally too small. All tweaked, all fake.

The short woman with manipulated proportions made a click clack noise as she stepped forward and hugged Kiya with a tight embrace. Kiya's face twitched with pain, confusion and discomfort. Physical touch had always had her incredibly uncomfortable and being in pain didn't help either.

"Cindy, stop. She's still hurt" Said the gruff voice as its owner pulled the short woman off Kiya. The owner of the gruff voice was a man in his fifties dressed in an expensive looking business suit. He had deep brown eyes that seemed like they were once warm and kind but cooled with time. His face was hard and well-worn for his age. He had surprisingly thick grey hair styled and neat, ashy with whatever color it had been before.

Kiya's mind was coming back to her as she recognized her father and Cindy, her father's long-time girlfriend. Cindy was a fairly nice lady, she had been the most consistent of her Father's girlfriends since Kiya's mother's passing during her birth. After her mother Lilianna had died, Kiya's father John had been with many different women, all after his money. Kiya suspected her father had never really gotten over the death of his late wife, one reason he never married again. Cindy herself was likely not the only girlfriend John currently had, but she was the one that kept coming back and that had been most with Kiya growing up. Kiya had even suspected Cindy to be John's favorite girlfriend, not that he would ever say or do anything to suggest it.

Cindy didn't have many thoughts in her great big blonde hair and both took and showed love through money and things. Cindy was certainly no mother figure to Kiya but was indeed the closest thing to it that Kiya had.

"Cindy.. I'm okay. It's okay Dad, I'm fine" Kiya lied as pain bit at her.

"I just knew you would be Moon pie! Don't worry one bit after this Cindy's gonna buy her Moon pie something shinny and expensive to make her all better and-" Cindy gushed as she used her short arms to grab Kiya's hand.

"You mean I'm going to buy it and you are going to give it to her." John interrupted with his usual stern demeanor. John then turned to Kiya, with both concern and frustration. "You really okay?" John asked with an unusually soft mumble.

"Yes.. wha-" Kiya began before being interrupted.

"Good. Then then you can tell me why in hell you were on top of that Volcano again? Did I not tell you it was dangerous? Damn it Kiya I thought once you became an adult you stopped that crap?!" John yelled, obviously frustrated. His face turned a shade of red as he spoke. He was referring to Kiya's midnight trips to the volcano and other dangerous places she found connected her to the earth.

"No, I just moved out so you did know, heh, but I'm sorry I worried you guys… How did I-" Kiya began but was again interrupted.

"And another thing" John started before lecturing furiously.

After letting out frustration and anger, he relented and pulled back into his usual stern and somber demeanor. It was a demeanor that Kiya had heard was different form the one he had before she was born, when Lilianna was alive.

"And I say this because.. er.. you know.. love and stuff" He concluded with a rare admittance of affection, a thing he had only ever given to Kiya since Lilianna's death, and something he had only done a scant few times in Kiya's life. Even as he said it, the words seemed forced. Meant, but forced and awkward.

"You too" Kiya agreed very uncomfortably, looking off in another direction as to avoid eye contact. She loved her father, and he loved her but saying so was an awkward thing for the two, despite meaning it. Love was not something that was talked about. Hugs were not a thing that just happened. Affection in general did not happen unless someone had almost died, such as today. This affectionless relationship would affect Kiya's future relationships all her life, as the concept of showing love was very foreign to her, something she ran away from. Her mother loved her and her father and look what that brought her, which was a notion that deeply affected Kiya in this regard.

"But Dad… how did I end up here? How did you find me?" Kiya asked, normally as brave as a braviary but in the presence of her father, more subdued.

"The volcano erupted into the bad-lands, as usual. A team of my researcher has been investigating the volcano recently, I believe I told you before, they are trying to see if the volcano could create more hot springs for us. So the eruptions are of particular interest." John Diamond stated matter-of-factly. He did not view the volcano with great respect as his daughter did. He saw it as a way to further his business.

The John Diamond had founded Diamond springs, which is where his wealth came from. John Diamond was a big name in Callani for this reason, as an owner of one of the major attractions in the area and a hard working self-made business man. Diamond springs was not only the largest hot spring resorts in the region but also was within one of the main vacation destinations in the region. Callani not only had the volcano and Diamond hot springs but also had old ruins in the jungle nearby (not an attraction for your regular tourist, but very attractive to your wondering adventurer), a few amusement parks, the famously clear watered river, and many shops and hotels.

"So using the volcano for profit then? Typical" Kiya retorted with a frown. Her environmentalism acquired by her love and respect for nature was often a topic of disagreement between her father and she.

"My scientists found you, so you should be grateful." John said gruffly back, folding his arms in an annoyed business man sort of way.

"Nature should not be manipulated for profit" Kiya frowned.

"Running water. Electricity. Pumping" John countered. He was somber and strict but a great businessman. He had also had this conversation with Kiya a thousand times before. Kiya just stared back at him, knowing she was defeated. Running water, electricity and plumbing were wonderful things; she was not so intense a tree hugger as to deny the beauty of such luxuries. "And, Kiya… they found you under strange conditions…" John added sounding more worried again as new thoughts seemed to fill his mind.

"Oh heavens yes! All covered in black soot and naked! How embarrassing! They said it was as if the volcano had swallowed you whole and burnt everything on you and around you! Which means we need to go shopping Moon pie, we need to replace it all!" Cindy said in her high pitched squeak, her little feet dancing around just recalling what she was told.

Kiya felt her heart drop as she touched her face and arms with her hands. "B-but, I'm not burned!" Kiya cried as she noticed one of her fists had been balled up with something inside.

"It's the strangest thing isn't it? Poor little moon pie, you must have been so scared! Arceus its self must have saved you!" Cindy gushed with emotion as her fake boobs quivered right along with her.

"She is lucky is what it is. Very lucky. My scientists say it could have been some kind of strange but natural phenomenon, which surely it was" John said adamantly while giving Cindy a look to shut down her 'nonsense talk'. "For now, you need to rest though. I can already see talking to us is taking a lot out of you" John said, unfolding his arms and nodding to Kiya as their usual form of goodbye.

"Yes, yes. Nurse said we could only have a few minutes after you woke up. See you Honey, bye bye!" Cindy added before the two left, ushered out by a nurse that seemed as if she had been impatiently waiting for them to leave.

The nurse bustled around then along with two chanseys, checking the machines Kiya was plugged into. Kiya felt very drowsy, not entirely sure what had happened in what she was told was just the day before. She slowly uncurled her balled up fist. Inside it was the most beautiful red stone she had ever laid eyes on. She had seen a lot of gems in her life, being around Cindy particularly, but this was unlike any stone or gem she had ever seen. Color, life swirled in the gem. Crimson streaks, amber glitters, vibrant golds. It seems to hold flames itself. In fact, it felt warm in Kiya's hand, unnaturally warm. The stone reminded her of a fire stone she had seen in one of the Callani shops, used to evolve fire pokemon. However this stone was significantly different. Kiya moved the stone in her hand around to see a burn in the shape of the stone. Her body felt bruised and painful but this was the only real burn she could find on her body. It didn't even look like a normal burn, deep red, as if in-printed.

The nurse drew near then and Kiya instinctively closed her fist back around the stone. "Okay Ms. Diamond, I am going to administer more sedatives for the pain. Try to sleep so you can recover. Kiya nodded before slipping into a deep sleep.

* * *

"Something… is touching me" Kiya thought half consciously. Heavily drugged, Kiya strained to open her eyes as she felt hands on her, moving her. In her foggy vision an image of hooded figures flashed before her sedated eyes. She felt what she recognized as the cool night air on her skin. That was all her will could force her consciousness to pick up before the sedatives took her consciousness back again.


	2. Chapter 2: Leonidas the Hero

Chapter 2: Leonidas the Hero

"It chose a pretty one" said a male voice.

"Dull looking if you ask me. Brown eyes, brown hair. Common" said a haughty sounding female voice.

"Quiet you two! That matters not. What matters is that it accepts her body" said an old voice.

Kiya blinked awake, filled with fear at her sudden swirling thoughts and new environment. To her horror she was in a dark place, a place made with old stone blocks. Ancient looking in fact, similar to ones she had seen in the jungle near Callani city.

"Quickly now, we must hurry!" said another older voice. Kiya realized she was being bound by rope to what felt like a stone structure of some sort. There was little light for her to see beyond the immediate area but she had a feeling the place she was in was huge because the voices around her echoed slightly. Surrounding her where seven hooded figures, two of which had just completed binding her arms and feet to the stone structure. These two had the young male and female voices. The other hooded figures seemed much older.

"What the hell is this?!" Kiya screamed, suddenly filled with adrenaline. Candle light allowed her to barely make out the area. Her heart was pounding deeply against her chest as she struggled to break free with no success. Kiya was hushed by one of the hooded figures who had something red and brilliant in his hand. The object sparkled even in the dull light. Kiya gasped realizing the object was the red stone she had woken up holding. "I swear I don't know how I got that! I woke up with it in my hand, I- I-" Kiya screamed, feeling utterly helpless.

"Hush child, don't make this any harder on yourself" said an old female voice from within a hooded figure. The light was too faint too see the faces within the hoods, they cast too deep a shadow. The figures began drawing nearer, encroaching upon her while chanting something in an old forgotten language. Kiya was screaming at the top of her lungs. She then saw pokemon deep within the shadows, seeming to be casting their powers upon her. Kiya noticed she was again naked; her hospital gown had apparently been taken off and a brown cloth had been tied around her lower half. Her screams did not relent but seemed to drown into the chanting of the hoods who had drawn very near her. The hood in the center, holding the stone stared directly into Kiya's eyes. Kiya could not see the person but knew who ever it was, was searching her soul there. In an instant this same figure plunged his fist through her chest, with the stone in his fist. Kiya let out a blood curtailing shriek that seemed to cause some of the hoods to flinch. Kiya bewildered by her continued consciousness felt the hand in her chest slide fingers around her beating heart. The hand pressed the stone against her heart. Then, a strange thing happened. She felt a strange, changing, growing feeling begin. It burned and Kiya was not sure that either the stone or her heart existed anymore, but something was certainly there in the area that had been occupied.

The hooded figure tore his hand away as if in great pain. "Put her out!" he yelled before Kiya felt the dust of a pokemon's sleep powder.

* * *

Kiya awoke on a slab of stone. She had been dressed in a robe like the hoods had worn and her body felt free of pain aside from a small burning in her chest. Kiya grasped at her chest, searching for the hole that had been made there. She felt no hole nor any mark aside from the burn still left on her hand from before. Kiya grabbed her mouth to hold in her scream of terror. Quickly she looked around. It was day now so she could clearly see she was in a massive ancient temple. The floors and celling where made of stone and there where stone pillars lining the walls. However the walls were open, only the pillars held the celling up. Because of this Kiya could see that the Temple was on a cliff over-looking the ocean. The land around it was a vast, scorching desert. In the temple Kiya spotted a statue, one of the hero Leonidas. He was a hero of ancient Legend, said to have saved the region from The Great Darkness in ancient times. Or at least that was the legend, no modern normal citizen saw it as true history. This statue however, much to Kiya's horror was splashed with blood. The blood ran down the statue in a way that looked consistent with what had been done to Kiya. She then realized this statue was what she had been tied to; the stone structure was a statue of the hero Leonidas.

Kiya muffled another scream. "I need to get out of here" She thought, hobbling onto her feet, her body feeling foreign to her. She noted that her chest felt strange and heavy, something deep within her felt different. Out of a door that seemed to lead to a closed in part of the temple with walls came the hooded beings. "Crap!" Kiya yelled breaking into a broken run.

"Darmanitan" said one of the hooded people. A large red Darmantian walking outside the temple, as if patrolling leapt toward Kiya and grabbed her in its large hand. Kiya squirmed and screamed in its grasp, beating her fists against the restrainer.

"Calm down young one, you disgrace the stone" said one of the hoods in an old voice. The figures then take off their hoods. There were six older people and two younger. Kiya recognized the young male and female from their voices from the previous night. One of the older men neared the front; Kiya knew in the pit of her heart he was the man who plunged his hand through her chest.

"Get the hell away from me! You Satanists, voo doo weirdoes! I am done being a sacrifice or whatever the hell is going on here!" Kiya roared, fiery hatred in her voice. Kiya's vehemence seemed to now actually strike some fear in the eyes of a few. Kiya noticed the pokemon Delphox, Ninetails, Solrock, Chandelure and Volcarona trailing them.

The man neared the front similar to how he had before and unraveled bandage around his arm. He then out stretched his arm and hand so it could be seen in the harsh day light. Kiya quieted at the sight. It was horribly and freshly burned. The skin looked as if he had dipped it in lava. She touched her chest again, and again there was nothing but soft, smooth skin. The old man nodded and wrapped his arm again. "I am Cesar" he said. "I believe we owe you an explanation" he said signaling the Darmantian to let go of Kiya.

"Damn right you do!" Kiya roared back aggressively, still keen on getting away but realizing running through the desert or off the cliff were also both bad options.

Cesar cleared his throat before speaking "Your frustration is understandable, but do keep your head, you contain the stone. It is a revered object" Kiya's eyes glowed with furry mixed with confusion. "Do you know the legend of Leonidas?" he asked cautiously.

"Everyone does. Leonidas saved the region during The Great Darkness. What does that have to do with me?" Kiya growled in frustration.

"Yes he did, and do you know how?" Cesar asked.

"Leonidas consumed the four stones of the each quadrant of the region. Each stone was said to keep nature in balance in each of the four parts. Which is why the quadrant of Aress is always in a state of winter, Catina always spring and Alumina always Autumn. It's why it's always summer in Callani city, because we live in Chantara, the quadrant of eternal summer. The four quadrants make up our region, the Kawaru region. The stones are said to be the reason we stay only in our particular seasons in each quadrant where as other regions go through all the seasons. Our way of having seasons doesn't effect other regions because the stones are so far from the other regions. So since Kanto is the closest region to us, it's still not affected. But that's supposed to just be a myth. My father says there are geographical reasons Kawaru has segmented seasons.." Kiya said trying to figure out where exactly Cesar was going with this.

"And how did consuming the stones save the Kawaru region?" Cesar prodded, folding his hands like a teacher might.

"Well... If I remember correctly, Leonidas consumed them because a dark pokemon was trying to move them somewhere else to create eternal darkness in our region. Our region needs the power of the stones to keep the balance of nature. The pokemon loved darkness and took them to another region, causing the elements in the Kawaru region to get out of whack inducing many natural disasters and causing The Great Darkness where there were no seasons, just darkness. It also screwed up the weather in the Hoenn region for a short time long ago because that's where the dark pokemon had taken the stones for a time. This caused the pokemon Groundon and Kyogre to feud. Even after the stone came back here it took another pokemon to calm them, I forget the name… But anyway then Leonidas found the dark pokemon, defeated it and brought the stones back to the Kawaru region. He made a temple in each quadrant to protect each stone controlling that area's season….." Kiya gulped as dots began to connect.

"And…" Cesar prodded softly.

"Er.. and when a powerful human loyal to the dark pokemon emerged to steal the stones once again Leonidas swallowed the stones to protect them… and that sort of where the story lets off. He saved the region. You must be asking me this to say that the stone I had was the stone of the sun that keeps summer here. But even if that's true, why would you put that stone in my heart? How am I healed? Really none of this makes any sense" Kiya said more confused than angry at this point.

"Because that's not where the story ends. That's where common knowledge ends, but here is what you don't know: Leonidas swallowed the stones and the powerful human cut him open and took the stones. Leonidas was indeed a hero and saved the Kawaru region for a time but what happened after than was largely kept secret by the monks of each temple he established. Our ancestors were followers of the brave Leonidas and over the generations we have kept our history, our secrets and our practices of the stones. We did not tell the world what happened next as to keep his heroism what he was known for, not his death. The dark and powerful human had actually been the one to send the dark pokemon in the first place. He wanted many riches, wealth. The way he went about getting that was taking the weather away that each quadrant had relied upon for crops, culture and many other things. Especially today people base their entire lives around the climate they live. As it is today it was then, the quadrants could not handle weather other than what it knew and its landscape grew accustomed to, what the pokemon that live in each place could handle, not to mention the natural disasters that came along with it. When the dark human took away the weather he made many threats and demands in order to get riches. It caused The Great Darkness, all the elements were thrown out of wack and his dark pokemon was indeed ordered away with the stones. Leonidas did defeat it, establish temples and ate the stones. After the dark human cut them out of his belly, our history is cut off. We are unsure of what happened. Over the centuries thieves and other villainous characters have come to each of the temples to learn our secrets for profit. They have taken the history of what happened after that, when our region was restored by some means. What we know is what little each temple had left of their written history to share and combine with other temples. " Cesar stated gravely.

"The environment being in disarray is a grave issue. I have spent enough time with the Callani volcano to know nature is an extremely powerful force we must preserve. Still though, none of this is telling me why you shoved your fist through my chest" Kiya said, annoyed again but not without bewilderment.

"Because the blessed little bit of information we could find. But a scrap of torn scroll left behind. It was found in the Ice temple, communicated through psychic pokemon. It tells of a ritual that some believe may have been involved in saving the region after Leonidas's death. Some think fate gave it to us by chance to save the region one day in the future, should an evil arise again. Some of us think Arceus himself left it behind for us. Some more skeptical monks think it a meaningless ancient ritual long worn out and forgotten. I believe none of these things. In my studies it looks like the writing of a monk from long ago that was viewed as quite drastic in practice. He experimented with pokemon to do rituals such as these and it was largely frowned upon by other monks. This was in my opinion, and based on the ink, occurring in centuries far closer to ours than that of The Great Darkness. The writing tells of a possible method of protecting the stones. It theorizes, never inferring it had been put into practice due to the dangerous nature, that one could merge with the stone… through methods such as the ones we used with you…" Cesar said attempting to go on but was cut off.

"You mean to tell me, that I am an experiment. Monks of legend kidnaped me and plunged a magical stone in me and now I am part of that stone" Kiya said dripping with sarcasm and new vehemence at the idea of being a magical science project.

"The stone changed your heart and became a part of you. The human you were no longer exists, and neither does the stone. Now you are one new being. If you do not believe me, examine yourself in our bathing quarters, tell me if there is not something you find convincing" Arthur said with a smug smirk across his old face. The old man seemed well read but a little drastic himself. Kiya frowned at him, not entirely confident in her opinion. The young female monk stepped aside and led her into the other portion of the temple. The young monk led Kiya into what looked like ancient bathing quarters. The walls of the bathing quarters were made of a strange reflective stone that acted as a mirror. Kiya neared the reflective surface, unsure of what she was supposed to be looking for. Kiya looked into her own eyes then. At that moment Kiya realized she did not recognize her own eyes, quickly she turned toward the young female monk.

"These are not mine!" Kiya said frantically pointing to her eyes. "I mean they look like mine… except they are the same burring red as the…" Kiya trailed off.

"As the stone of the sun?" said the young female with a grimace. Kiya nodded, shaking lightly. "take your clothes off" the woman added.

"W-what?" Kiya sputtered at the sudden suggestion.

"Ugh, just take them off and look at yourself. That's why you are here, you don't think you could simply look at your eyes in front of everyone out there?" the woman muttered, turning slightly but still keeping a close eye on Kiya. Kiya frowned at her, knowing she was being monitored in case she tried to escape. Kiya turned back toward the reflective rock walls and let her robe drop to the cold stone floor. Kiya gasped at the sight of two red licking flame markings, one on each side that followed along each hipbone. From the front, it did not look too drastic. Two small flames in a style similar to a deep red tribal tattoo along her hip bones and there were to smaller similar ones just below either breast. Kiya then turned to see what these flames connected to. Behind her was a full back of licking flames in strange patterns. Mostly her back was made of her own skin, but between slices of skin were slices of dancing flames. Kiya looked down at her hands, there were no new markings other than the one in the palm of her hand that had been left by the stone. Kiya turned toward the woman, bewildered.

"That's all, now put your clothes back on" The woman suggested, trying not make eye contact.

"You mean I don't have to check my vagina?" Kiya smirked sarcastically. The young woman rolled her eyes and lead Kiya back out after she put her robe back on.

* * *

"I still don't understand why" Kiya said, finally with a cool head as she emerged from the other part of the temple.

"Why what?" Cesar asked inquisitively.

"Why you felt like you needed to do this to me in the first place" Kiya replied. The girl that lead her huffed loudly and rolled her eyes.

"Candina, respect" Cesar corrected the young woman as if he was a teacher figure to her. "We did this because we needed to protect the stones. We never intended to ever preform the ritual… but we got word from the Temple of Shadows in the quadrant of eternal Autumn. They have many shadow, psychic and dark pokemon there. Their pokemon began to have visions of a coming evil... One that threatened the stones. There have been attempts by a group called Team Gemstone, some very close to succeeding, to steal the stones. So we had to do what we could. If the stones were used for evil purposes… we could have a modern day Great Darkness" Cesar said eerily.

"A modern day Great Darkness would be catastrophic on the land, the people and the pokemon.. I could never allow… But.. why me? Why steal a woman in the hospital? Why not one of you? Plus can't they just cut the stone out of me too? How am I really protecting anything?" Kiya said betraying her willingness to believe.

"That's a good question. Why YOU?" Candina muttered low enough that Cesar did not catch it, her sandy blonde hair shifted under her agitation. The young male monk next to her nudged her with his elbow. "Ow, stop Dillon" she said to the young man.

"Because the stone chose you. We had done a ritual with our pokemon that allowed the stone to seek it's choice host. It found its way to you… for one reason or another you are its choice to join with. And that is the beauty of it and the reason we chose to go through with all this. You joined, two things are one. They can't cut it out of you. However that's the possibility for disaster too… Should you choose to end summer here, so could you…" Cesar stated, looking in Kiya's face for a hint of her intentions.

"Y-you mean I control… the climate here? I am the stone… How will this affect me?" Kiya asked noticing the warmth coming off her new markings.

"Well there is what you have observed in the wash room. You can by will choose to deactivate or activate the stone should you choose. Other than that, I am uncertain there should be any other change. It's difficult to really know since we have no data of it being done before. I suspect that you might have a strong commune with fire pokemon, as these pokemon have the strongest respect for the stone of the sun. That is all that should be different as far as we know… Hopefully it will work as we hope… The other temples are also trying the same process, in hope that in human form it can be better protected and stolen less easily. I know that the temple of the eternal spring has had several deaths so far.. We theorize that the stone had not picked the most suitable host.. I had doubt such a host existed. Alas you are the first to survive in whole, and the Temple of eternal summer's first try" Cesar smiled raising his fist into the air. The other monks also rose their fists as they did a gleeful chant. Their pokemon seemed to also be doing the same.

"Others have died?" Kiya questioned feeling disturbed but strangely lucky.

"Yes, a few from the land of spring. The lands of Autumn and Winter have yet to perform the ritual, though they are working fervently to achieve it considering the constant attacks. Which brings us to our final item. We need you to travel. Far from here. Anywhere not in this quadrant but still in our region. Outside our region, the stone cannot reach us but in another quadrant it is thought that the stone can still give Chantara summer without disturbing anything, but in an opposing quadrant to the stone's original position is where team gemstone will never look. We want to hide you deep in the quadrant of eternal winter. We need you to run until we can find another means to defeat the evil. I trust the stone chose someone formidable enough for this task. Or we hope and pray it has…" Cesar confessed, staring deeply into Kiya's eyes as if searching for this answer there.

In the same breath Kiya began to ask another question when there was a large explosion coming from the direction of the closed off portion of the temple.

"Another attack.. Quickly girl, what is your name?" Cesar asked in a panic.

"Kiya Diamond… I understand where you are coming from despite how horrible and life changing this all is. I have always felt the pull of the volcano and an unusual commune with nature since I was a little girl... it makes sense now. As if the stone had always known I was the one for it… I can see even by my own body that what you say is true. I can see it by my history, all the strange things that happened. I.. can't let innocent people and pokemon suffer, I must keep nature in order, I cannot fail." Kiya relented, hardening her posture. The girl was bold and brave, even at her own cost she stubbornly refused to let the region degrade. It was sudden but Kiya had seen enough to be convinced these were her options and she was bold enough to know what she needed to do.

"I put my hope in you Kiya Diamond, may the spirits of protection watch over you. We will find another way to defeat this new evil and I will contact the other temples. Now go! Young ones, see that she safely leaves the temple!" Cesar cried, motioning the two young monks and Kiya to run. Kiya, Candina and Dillon nodded adamantly and ran toward the other end of the temple and toward the desert followed by the chandelure and ninetails. The other monks and their pokemon ran in the opposite direction, the direction of the explosion.


	3. Chapter 3: Playing with your food

Chapter 3: Playing with your food

Kiya, Candina and Dillon ran out of the temple and into the surrounding desert area. "This way" Candina motioned as she headed toward a sandy cave that seemed to go underground, the only other structure in the vast desert besides the temple. In the cave Dillon commanded his Ninetails to light torches that had already been set aside in the dark cave. With haste, the five ran deeper into the darkness.

"Where are we going?" Kiya huffed as the group ran as fast as they could.

"Fayala Village. It's the closest populated area. But to get there we need to cross the desert, the safest and shortest way is through this cave system. It should open up past the desert, in the forest near Fayala." Candina huffed. After running deep into the cave for a long period of time, no sounds of being followed were heard.

"I don't think they followed us. They must not have figured out we ran in here" Kiya said as the group slowed to a fast walk.

"Or they are on their way to get us now" Candina countered but still slowed to a walk.

"Well, I'm exhausted. So is ninetails. Plus we can't run all the way there. It's a two day trip" Dillon said, obviously out of breath. "And.. I mean, the barer of the stone just went through something pretty traumatic. She is probably hurting" Dillon added in an attempt to coerce Candina.

"Don't worry about me, I feel fine aside from the pain in my heart" Kiya said with a smile.

"Er.. yeah I'm sorry about all this by the way… D-don't smile at us. We don't deserve it after kidnaping you and… everything else" Dillon said with guilt. Kiya noticed his face now, he had naturally droopy eyes and a small jaw. His framed seemed bulky from what one could tell by a man wrapped in a robe.

"You had to, for the sake of the Kawaru region. I would have done the same thing as you. I understand that my sacrifice is necessary to keep the environment in balance. That's something I have always been willing to sacrifice and fight for and that isn't stopping here" Kiya said as they walked along, recalling her many fights with her father on the subject and her many efforts to make Diamond springs more ecofriendly. Her past made accepting her fate on these particular terms easier than it might have been on others.

"Psh.. Don't feel so guilty all the time Dillon. She is privileged to bear the stone. She should be thanking us for giving a nobody special something so vital" Candina said, again quickening her pace.

"The hell is wrong with you?" Kiya retorted, caught off guard by Candina's seemingly blind hatred for her.

"The hell is wrong with me? You really want to know Miss flabby ass?" Candina said stopping in her tracks.

"Flabby ass? Hey, my butt is far from flabby!" Kiya said stopping too, her face red from embarrassment, recalling Candina saw her undress in the temple washroom.

"I think it looks like a perfectly nice ass… a very nice ass" Dillon commented as if he didn't realize he was speaking out loud. Both Kiya and Candina shift their gaze from each other to Dillon. "Uh.. wha- I mean, I um, I said respect the stone host. I, yes that is what I said." Dillon stammered. Just then Kiya noticed a figure out of the corner of her eye and her face grew wary. Candina saw it too because her expression had changed drastically. Dillon however was busy reciting a list of words that sounded like ass, which he could have possibly said instead as he tried to convince the girls that they had miss heard him.

"A nice pass. I mean, no I said a nice glass, yes that one. Glass. Not sexual." Dillon continued. Kiya and Candina turned to face the figure, staring back at them with a devilish grin and bright wolf like eyes.

"Why, hello there" said the figure as he emerged from the shadows, his eyes looking upon them greedily, light green hair adorning his face. It was a man, likely in his mid-twenties with a strong, angular jaw and mocking, yellow green, amber eyes. He neared the group and Dillon who finally realized the situation ordered his nintails to stand in front of Kiya for protection. "Oh, giving me my answer so soon boy? You can die the quickest as a reward, how about that?" he laughed.

"You are an idiot Dillon" Candina said before ordering chandelure to also protect Kiya too.

"Yes, you made it quite obvious that the horribly pretty one holds the stone" said the amber eyed man as he bit his lip and examined Kiya.

"Get the hell away from me creep!" Kiya growled at him, like a warning sound. The sound seemed to bring the man pleasure. Kiya's personal space had already been violated already one too many times as of late, and the idea that it could be violated again caused her great stress, like a cornered animal.

"Don't worry Kiya, he's alone and doesn't seem to have any pokemon with him. Ninetails and chandelure can handle this. Ninetails, fire blast!" Dillion called. From the shadows emerged several people with team gemstone uniforms on. They called forth their pokemon and crushed ninetails and chandelure due to pure out numbering. The two pokemon lay badly hurt on the cave floor. Candina called back her chandelure into its pokeball and Dillon ran up to his ninetails, embracing the creature with sorrow deep in his droopy eyes. The amber eyed man seemed to look away at this.

"You bastard.. This was a trap.." Candina said, glaring furiously. With Kiya's gaze also blazing one might think they had been hit by a fire blast when given a look from both of these furious women.

"So the ugly one is smart" the amber eyed man smirked. Candnia's glare grew deeper. Candina was certainly not an ugly girl. Compared to Kiya, most women fell short but Candina was also pretty once one got past her haughty attitude. Her sandy blond hair curled and flipped around her face and her bright violet eyes were certainly a nice feature. "Yes that small group of team gem members were probably already taken care of by those old monks. We have been sending small groups to rustle feathers knowing soon the gem would be sent out for protection. And the fastest way out of this hellacious desert is this dark cave. So we have been waiting here, a truly boring job yes? But here you are, a much easier grab that you would have been protected in that temple filled with fire pokemon." The man smirked. The man neared Kiya, close enough to touch her now. Kiya stood bravely returning his stare as ferociously as she could. The man showed his teeth at the sight of her blazing eyes.

"I see why you are the one that holds it. It's like fire burns in you" said the man with a hint of fascination. "Alas, though, you will die too. Men, bring the other two out to the desert and kill them. I don't want their bodies to stink up the place. We will need to camp here tonight." Said their leader.

"No! You can't!" Kiya roared, throwing a punch at the leader. The man caught it and smiled, entertained by the effort. He held her fist as he looked at her. Even under normal circumstances Kiya would have had deep distain for physical touch such as this. Kiya cringed under the touch of friends, family or any other being bold enough to touch any part of her. She had a very large personal bubble, larger and more sensitive than most due to her upbringing. It was as if touch and affection were a fear for Kiya because she associated the whole thing with love and saw love as bringing about her mother's death. Considering this about Kiya, the fact that this strange man grasped her fist sent her system into a panic. She grew as senseless as a wild dog.

"Oh yes, I can. Say good bye to the ugly thing and the idiot. I'm certain you can all met up in hell later" The leader responded as her forcibly held her fist, pulling her nearer before forcing her arms behind her and cuffing them together. Kiya fought him as hard as she could but couldn't break free.

"Kiya! Save ninetails! Please! She is my best friend!" Dillon sobbed as the team gemstone members dragged him away from his ninetails. He was obviously unable to retrieve its pokeball from his pocket due to the man handling. Ninetails lay there unconscious and badly hurt. Candina was dragged away too, kicking and screaming. Once they left other team gemstone members went about setting up camp.

"You, see to it that ninetails gets healed then put it in a cage until we recover its pokeball" said the leader to one of the Team gemstone grunts.

"Yes sir, Admin Kane" the grunt replied before hurrying off with the ninetails.

"Now it's my personal pleasure to find out where exactly you are hiding the stone.. mhaha, so do I get to find out the fun way, or are you just going to me a good girl and tell me?" said Kane as his amber demon eyes sparked at Kiya, not far from her face.

Kiya frowned furiously, unable to hid her shaking at the notion of what might be about to happen. "I cannot tell him what happened. He might think he can still cut the stone out of my heart and if we are one that might only just kill the stone too… Urgh! I can't let that happen, but.. I don't know what to do!" Kiya thought, remaining quite but shaking, her gaze blazing.

"Ouch Vixen, you burn me with that look. But, to make up for it you have chosen the fun way, yes? How nice of you" Kane said grabbing the cuffs around her arms and drawing her so close to him that she could feel his breath on her neck. Greedily his hands searched her body as Kiya bit down on her lip and her nails dug into her own hands. His searching, strangely cold hands ran along her fresh warm markings and through all her robe pockets. The sensation made her find a deep rage that she had never known existed within her. It was an anger so deep and penetrating that she wanted to not only harm, but kill. She looked at the man with meadow green hair and in her eyes was no longer fear and anxiety, but blood lust.

"You will pay for this" Kiya uttered, unable to get out any words but those, her furry too consuming to make any more words. All she wanted was blood.

Kane smirked at her in a self-deprecating way. "We all deserve to pay" he whispered before throwing her to the ground. "Where is the stone" Kane asked, no longer with an air of sick amusement but in a cold, dark and emotionless manor. A switch was flipped and he was no longer playing with his food. It was time to get to business.


	4. Chapter 4: Cinderella Slipper

Chapter 4: Cinderella Slipper

Kane had a dangerous look in his eye. A look of determination and possibly one of fear, that he had not actually captured the stone because he could not find it on her body after all. Kiya struggled to get off the floor, furious and wanting Kane's head. Kane frowned at her, pulling a knife from his pocket. "Tell me where the stone is" he threatened when the team gem stone members came rushing back from outside the cave.

"Sir Admin Kane, er- we have some news" said one of the grunts, stepping forward, scared by the look in his superior's eyes, as if he had seen it before and known it meant to stay clear.

"What" Kane hissed at him, turning around with the blade still gleaming in his hand.

"Er- well. We know where the stone is, but one of the prisoners got away" the grunt confessed.

"Where is it?" Kane questioned coldly, his face expressionless.

"Well, we killed the boy and the woman got away.. because she distracted us with this story of the stone so we wouldn't kill her right away, allowing her to back into the desert where a Flygon snatched her up" the grunt said cautiously, fearful of the coldness in Kane's previously eccentrically entertained voice. A small cry escaped Kiya's lips when she heard that Dillon had been killed.

"It doesn't matter. What of the stone?" Kane responded quickly. The grunt then proceeded to tell Kane about the ritual and all that had followed in the temple. "So we have our stone after all" Kane replied with his previously eccentric voice and demeanor. The cold, emotionless aura had drifted away after he learned they possessed the stone.

"Yes sir, but we cannot cut it out, like I said. It could pose a problem.." the grunt said, sounding concerned but still relived that his boss was no longer in his previous state.

"Nonsense, if she holds the power of the stone itself, we shall just use her in the same way. I am certain our methods can be persuasive enough to get her to do as we wish. Or any other human that might survive the stone" Kane smiled sickly as he looked at Kiya and stroked his blade.

Kiya spat at him, leaving a gooey glob of clear liquid dripping off Kane's blade. "I will kill you if it's the last thing I ever do" Kiya spat, anger boiling out of every pore.

"Come now, barer of the stone of the sun, that is not how someone in your position should behave. You see, I can do whatever I wish with you, and you will be in my company, due to unexpected circumstances, for quite a while. So it is in your best interest to behave is it not?" Kane said wiping the liquid off his blade before putting it away. Kiya could do nothing but stare at him furiously. The wolf eyed man smiled in the heat of her blazing stare. "Now those eyes don't tell me you are going to be good. They tell me you are quite naughty" Kane smirked before grabbing her cuffs and taking her into camp.

* * *

In the cave beneath the desert there was a larger area in which team gemstone had set up camp. Tents surrounded a camp fire burning in the middle. The team gemstone members were all gathered around the large fire, talking and eating a dinner of stew. Some of the ones who had drunk too much were singing merrily about capturing the stone. Kiya sat in a cage, staring wistfully at the fire, her blood thirst had calmed and she was at work in her head trying to figure out a way to escape. Next to Kiya was Ninetails. It was healed, but it was mourning after finding out its master perished. The occasional faint cry came from the defeated creature. Kiya turned to look at the ninetails. It's fur gleamed an even brighter gold in the light of the fire. It's piercing red eyes that looked similar to her own, were deep with sadness.

"You were his best friend huh?" Kiya asked it, laying her hand on its back to comfort it. Ninetails sadly lifted its head in acknowledgement. The creature was so graceful and beautiful even in this cage, mourning a death. "It's okay… I will save you Ninetails, just like Dillon wanted.. We can make it through this" Kiya said determined, tears forming in her eyes. Ninetails looked at her closely obviously feeling something deep in its soul before nodding adamantly. Kiya removed her hand and went back to her thoughts, working to find a plan.

As Kiya strained to find a way of escape, she overheard two grunts talking away from the fire, not too far from her. "Yeah I heard the boss thinks he's an utter failure" one female grunt said.

"He seems to get the job done though. I have only seen him be an excellent Admin" said the stumpy male grunt.

"As have I… other than his episodes.. But that's not the consensus everywhere. Grunt Sandra out in Catina right now is my second cousin. She has been on the team much longer than us and has connections with the higher ups, she hears things.. Well the Boss, his father, sees him as a failure. The only reason he is an admin is because he is family" Said the female grunt, happy to relay gossip. This female grunt had a small blue star tattoo at the corner of her eye with matching blue lipstick and purple hair.

"That's strange because he got the stone so easily. Maybe because we are a new group of grunts, we haven't all heard from the other grunts that the boss is displeased with him" said the male grunt, unsure about how much truth was in the gossip. He folded his hairy arms over his wide belly.

"Well I think he is competent, like you said he got the stone with little to no issues. The rumor is the boss is hard on him like that because he killed his mother, boss's departed wife. Happened way before we joined, like twenty years ago. Anyway we need to know this stuff once we are integrated with all the other, seasoned team gemstone members. Don't want to look like newbies not knowing anything when all the other member already know this stuff" said the female rocket grunt, smacking her lips to accentuate her blue lip stick she was obviously rather proud of. The male grunt nodded in agreement before the two began to talk about something else and rejoin the campfire.

* * *

As night came, the grunts returned to their tents for sleep. Kiya and ninetails had already tried several methods of escape to no avail. There was scratch and bite marks on the thick bars of their cage, the metal was too thick and strong to get through. Ninetails tried to melt the bars with its fire, but this cage was obviously built to hold fire pokemon because the bars didn't give a single sign of melting under the heat. Kiya's next idea was to use ninetails shadow ball when she saw meadow green hair coming her way in the dark cave. It was him.

Kiya immediately pretended she was asleep, trying to not give away the fact that she had been trying to escape. Kane neared the cage and looked at ninetails, he had a bowl in his hand. "You must be hungry, huh beautiful?" Kane said, looking fondly at the creature and knelt down next to it. Kiya was almost certain he was referring to herself, as she had not eaten this whole time when she heard the next bit he had to say; "Yes here you go girl. Eat up, it's a bit of my soup and some left over pokemon food I found". Ninetails made a huffing noise and turned her head from him in disgust. "I know you are mad my men killed you master. But you don't need a master, you should be free of humans. All we do is cause pain for each other and pokemon… Humans shouldn't even exist.. If only that was the goal instead of what my Father has planned.." Kane said. Kiya's stomach betrayed her and growled loudly. "Ah and there is a dirty rotten human right there. You might think she's a good one ninetails, she certainly appears that way doesn't she? Certainly the most beautiful creature I have ever seen, fiery, passionate about her intentions. She appears a fine specimen, a good human to try and protect the stone. But the truth is none of us humans are" Kane said returning to his standing position before opening the gate to the cage. "Go ninetails. You or any other pokemon shouldn't be a part of what is going on here. I don't care if he calls me soft… Well, he won't know. He will have her stone and-" Kane was cut off by the tail of a Flygon quickly wrapped around his throat.

Kiya heard this and immediately stood up. There stood Candina, her finger to her mouth to indicate Kiya needed to say quiet. A flygon had its tails tightly choking Kane, Kane's arms were around the tail, attempting to pull it off with no luck. Kiya smiled at Candina and they exchanged a quick, silent celebration. Nintails and Kiya hopped out of the cage and neared Kane. Kiya stood close to him and searched his pockets pointedly. She found the blade from before in his pocket and pressed it against his cheek. "I should kill you" she whispered as she recalled what he had done just a few hours before, she remembered her insatiable blood lust. She remembered poor Dillion and Ninetails's crys for its master.

"Do it" Kane quietly choked out, the look in his eyes said he meant it... He wanted it. Kiya's hand shook, the knife made a small mark on his face and a small dribble of blood fell down his cheek like a tear. Candina nodded as if to encourage Kiya to go through with it. Kiya looked into Kane's wolf eyes and saw something… surprising there. It was a deep sadness, torture, regret even somewhere deep inside… a mysterious sorrow. After seeing it there, seeing something strange inside hime, that she couldn't quite put her finger on, she could no longer do it. Maybe he did deserve to die, maybe he should die so he would not go after the stones, but today he would live. For some reason Kiya felt something in Kane's eyes that caused her to show mercy. Kiya threw the knife to the ground.

Kane's face froze, looking at her. "she.. spared me? After all I have done? All I plan to do?" he thought. "You know I will still acquire the stones" he chocked, not sure she realized his intentions had not changed.

"I know you will try" Kiya whispered before signaling the others to run. The flygon released him and the four ran off in a hurry.

Kane lay choking on the ground, trying to catch his breath. He saw something fall into the dirt as they left. He felt desperate for it. His hand searched the ground as he lay there. He grabbed the thin plastic thing, white with little black letters. He held it in his vision and whipped the dirt off it as a drop of blood ran down his cheek and dribbled onto it. It was a hospital bracelet with the name "Kiya Lilianna Diamond" Stamped across it.

"I _will_ find you Kiya Diamond" Kane said, getting up. "I WILL FIND YOU!" he roared as loudly as he could, hoping she heard him and knew he was coming for her.


	5. Chapter 5: Cut like a Stone

Chapter 5: Cut like a Stone

Kiya, Candina and the pokemon ran all night, till the sun rose. They knew with certainty that team gemstone would be close on their trail. But it was not just team gemstone. Kiya quivered uneasily as she recalled running out of that cave, leaving Kane choking in the dust. She remembered running a good distance away before hearing his cry. "I WILL FIND YOU!" was what she heard echo throughout the cave. However this time, it seemed more personal than his pursuit had before. His utterance gave the sense that no matter what it took, he was going to find her, team gemstone and its goals aside. Or perhaps she was over thinking things..

Kiya Candina and the pokemon then ran most of the day, taking only short breaks before running again. Once they made it out of the cave they seemed to be at the edge of the desert, where it met with the forest. Candina stopped there completely out of breath. Kiya stopped next to her, also breathing heavily. The pokemon seemed exhausted too. They stood there catching their breath for a few minutes before Candina spoke up saying "We need to make camp somewhere in the woods. We ran a good part of last night at almost all of today. We won't have time to get to Fayala Village before night fall, plus we need to rest. I can't run anymore. Come on, I know a place" Candina said before breaking into a run again. Kiya, ninetails and flygon followed after her.

The group entered the jungle forest and after a few minutes of running Candina stopped at a large tree trunk. Candina grabbed a vine around the tree trunk and began to climb up it. "What are you doing Candina?" Kiya exclaimed.

"Just come on" Candina called down before hopping over the top of the tree trunk, into its hallow center. Flygon let ninetails on its back before flying up to the top of the trunk then diving into the center of the hallow trunk.

Kiya sighed "No love for the guardian of the stone of the sun, I see how it is Flygon"

"Flygon can't lift your flabby ass, now hurry up and get in here" Kiya heard Candina yell from within the trunk. Kiya grumbled under her breath and grabbed the vines. She climbed up and hopped into the trunk as Candina had. Inside the hallow trunk was larger than it seemed it might be from the outside. There were two old wooden chairs, a dusty lavender rug with a small, old push sandtrew on top. There were pokemon posters adorning the walls, most either ripped or faded.

"What is this place?" Kiya asked, surprised it was there. From the outside it looked like any other tree trunk.

"The perfect place to hide for tonight" Candina responded, positioning herself on the rug and using the old sandtrew push doll as a pillow.

"But how did you know it was here? Why is this stuff here?" Kiya asked, looking for a spot to lie down but not really finding a suitable area. Candina had quickly snatched up the prime location.

"Because, it was where I liked to go when I was little. My brother and I made it a secret base. I used to live in Fayala Village until Cesar saw my talent with ground type pokemon and asked my parents if I could come live at the temple" Candina responded with her back turned away from Kiya, she was laying on her side.

"What, why did he ask you to live at the temple? I thought only the descendants of the original monks lived there?" Kiya asked, as she settled on a spot and sat down, her back leaning against the hard trunk wall.

"Because" Candina sat up and turned to Kiya, angst in her eyes again. "I was a ground type prodigy, so they told me. A shoe in to be the keeper of the stone they said, since ground type is an important element to the Chantara quadrant and summer itself considering the many deserts and beaches of the area. And, Queen half brain, some descendants stayed, some left. New people came. They aren't inbred, God" Candina huffed before turning away once again.

"Ohhh, so that's what your problem is" Kiya concluded. Candina turned back at her, red in the face. "Yep. You thought you were going to be the keeper of the stone and turns out the stone chose me, that's why you hate me isn't it?" Kiya said calmly thinking it over, as if she was musing to herself.

"I trained Kiya. For years. I have given my entire life since I was little and then some nobody comes along and… argh!" Candina exclaimed, balling her fists.

"Candina.. I'm sorry about that but you gotta know I didn't choose this either. The responsibility was forced upon me as I am sure you remember. Plus isn't what matters that the stones are safe, Kawaru is safe and nature in balance? If I can do that.. Well I think that's the only thing that is important, not who gets the title" Kiya responded.

Candina was quiet a few moments, thinking about what Kiya said before responding with "Well you better do all that then or everything is a wash anyway"

The two sat silent for a few moments before Kiya spoke up again. "Is Dillon really.." Kiya began but was cut off.

"Yes. They killed him first for sobbing. I had to tell them what happened or they would have killed me too. It gave me the time I needed to escape. At the temple I let my ground type pokemon be in the desert because they like it. Flygon happened to be passing by when she saw me in trouble and Dill…" Candina said with a crack in her voice. Since Kiya had met Candina the woman's voice cut like stone, it was solid and unwavering. This crack of emotion sounded so strange in Candina's voice that it made Kiya turn toward her with concern. Tears were welling up in her eyes. Kiya came over and put a hand on Candina's back as the woman began to cry bitterly. "My pokemon.. will think I abandoned them too. Who knows what happened to the temple, that is where they would come back to me after they went out and played. Cesar and the rest.. I don't know if they are okay.. and this place, my old life…" Candina sobbed as tears ran down her bronze cheeks. "And…. D-Dill" Candina began sobbing frantically, unable to get his name out. Ninetails who had been sitting in a corner looked utterly distraught.

Kiya began patting Candina's back soothingly. "Candina… Dillon died trying to save all of Kawaru, he was noble and kind till the end. You and ninetails should be proud of him and see to it that his efforts and the efforts of the monks were not in vain. Your pokemon will find you again one day Candina, if I have to come back here and find them all myself in order to do it then I promise I will" Kiya responded, her own heart breaking for Candina and ninetails but wanting desperately to encourage them. Ninetails seemed encouraged by the sentiment, as if it did not want to let Dillon down. Ninetails stood, came over to Kiya and laid by her side. Kiya patted her head and smiled reassuringly. The physical touch was a hard thing for Kiya but she knew Candina needed the reassurance and comfort it brought.

"Why… why are you being so nice to me? I have been nothing but a douche to you" Candina said between sobs.

"Well.. because it's the right thing I guess and I understand where you are coming from and why you feel the way you do…" Kiya responded.

"Pure of heart… The one thing Cesar worried about with me." Candina said, her tears drying some. Kiya looked back at her inquisitively. "The stone is thought to choose someone bonded with the element of its quadrant.. and someone.. good, just, valiant.. pure of heart. Apparently that really is you. I should have known it when you let that guy go" Candina said, petting ninetails now.

"Well Candina.. I think you should come on my journey with me" Kiya said suddenly, nintails looked up at Kiya obviously surprised.

"What?!" Candina said in shock. "I thought you would want rid of me the first chance you got?" she added.

"No. I think you have good intentions. I think maybe your desire for the title might have clouded some things but all around I think you are still a good person deep down" Kiya said.

"No actually, I am regularly a douche bag to everyone. It was just especially you." Candina said cautiously.

"I can kinda tell that. No I mean you heart and the core of who you are. Your concern is obviously for the people and pokemon close to you. You were willing to give your life to save the region. You risked your life again to come out here and save someone you don't even like when you could have just went on your way, because it's the right thing to do. That sounds like a good person to me and someone I want at my side" Kiya said with a smile.

Candina mustered a coy smile back. "Well you _do _make a convincing argument. I suppose I am a pretty great person." she said with a smile. "I would consider going with you but I haven't seen my family in years.." Candina replied, looking at the old pokemon posters on the walls.

"I understand, that's why I need to see my family before I head to Aress too. I can't let them sit there wondering what in the hell happened to me" Kiya replied.

"Defiantly. But, that doesn't mean I am going to stay there forever. I want to see the world, I need to make sure the monks are okay and find my pokemon, I've been cooped up in that temple for too long. And… I'm sure I will see your flabby ass again" Candina said, a smirk across her lips.

Kiya rolled her eyes and jiggled her butt all around in response. "No flab, all ab" she said playfully.

"That is NOT your abs dumbass" Candina said trying to be annoyed but smiling still.

The two girls laughed and talked awhile longer. Kiya learned more about Dillon and how he had grown up with Candina after she was taken to the temple of the sun. It seemed she had a stony, sarcastic personality. The more Kiya talked to her the more she could tell Candina was indeed a bit of a "douche bag" in her demeanor and way of speaking, but Kiya could also see the heart in her, hidden deep under a tongue that cut like a stone, a protective mechanism if you will. Kiya wondered if being raised with monks had something to do with it, the strength needed to bare the stone and the lack of caring emotions likely from being raised without and mother and father to show her affection. In this they seemed to find a lot of common ground. Both girls were not used to affection, Candina fought it off with "douche bagginess" but also seemed to want it where as Kiya had a much stronger internal fear of it, not desiring it at all. The more Candina talked the more it seemed like she wanted the title of the barer of the stone to win some sort of admiration, Kiya suspected to win the affection of the monks and her parents. Candina also had a passion for the earth as Kiya did but focused more upon the soil and sand. She seemed to really have an affinity for the desert. Candina also had great enthusiasm for pokemon, particularly ground types and seemed like a strong trainer. Kiya had not spent a lot of time with pokemon compared with others like Candina.

"What do you MEAN you have never had a pokemon?!" Candina bellowed as if she could not believe it. "How old are you again?" Candina exclaimed in sarcasm.

"Twenty thank you very much, and no I just never have… I mean I obviously have been around them in the city and everything. I just, I have always worked hard to make my father's hot springs the best they could be. I have worked there full time since I was a child. They didn't used to be famous you know? It was a lot of hard work scrumming tubs in the bath area (separate from the hot springs) and waiting on gross old men!" Kiya responded with a laugh. She had inherited her strong work ethic from her father. The two talked a little while longer before trying to get some sleep. In the middle of the night they heard running and voices. Voices of grunts could be heard in the woods, echoing. Soon though they moved on and everyone in the tree base sighed in relief. They lay quite for some time longer. Kiya had snuggled up against nintails and the creature laid its great many tails across Kiya like a blanket, almost in a mothering way.

"She used to do that with Dillon too" Candina thought as she looked at ninetails. Candina lay there thinking for a few minutes. Kiya was on the verge of sweet slumber when Candina spoke up saying "Kiya.. Why didn't you kill him?"

Kiya was surprised by the sudden question. "Why… I'm not sure I know how to put it into words.. but there was something in that guy's eyes, something strange and sorrowful. We and the region would probably be better off if he was dead but... I couldn't kill him. Not after seeing it. I saw something… maybe redeemable" Kiya said in sleepy thoughtfulness before she quickly drifted into slumber.

"Hm" Candina mused to herself before claiming her own sleep.

* * *

The next morning everyone was up and Flygon had been returned to its pokeball. Kiya and Candina looked at ninetails who was all ready to go, then they looked at each other. "What are you going to do about ninetails?" Kiya asked much to the pokemon's surprise.

"Me? Nothing, Dillon left her with you remember?" Candina said turning her nose upward in the other direction.

"Me? I don't really know how to take care of pokemon" Kiya answered truthfully. Ninetails looked at Kiya, emotion in its eyes. It walked up to Kiya and put its head in her hand. "You... want to go with me?" Kiya said a bit shocked.

"Nine nine!" the pokemon replied adamantly. Kiya felt a warmth deep in her heart and was shocked that ninetails touch dident bother her, nor did its tails last night now that she thought about it. "Maybe.. I only have issues with other people touching me… And I can't believe a pokemon wants to go with me… its strange and.. nice actually" Kiya thought, her face still shocked.

"Well don't just stand there like an idiot, are you going to take it or not?" Candina said frustrated and impatient.

"O-of course. If you really want to go with me, I would love to have you ninetails" Kiya said happily. Ninetails seemed pleased by this.

"Then you will need this" Candina said taking something out of her robe pocket and handing it to Kiya. "I came back to bury him and found her ball" she said, turning her face around so Kiya would not see any emotion it might have been wearing. In Kiya's hand was a small red ball with a white bottom. "His mother gave it to him as a vulpix before he left for the temple. When he turned sixteen the monks gave him a firestone as a birthday gift and he used it. I think he would have been happy for you to take care of her now. He seemed to like you, usually he was far more of a coward around strangers" she said, still looking away.

"Ninetails.. I have never had a pokemon and honestly I don't know the first thing about raising one. Are you sure you wouldn't rather go with Candina" Kiya asked, guilty at her lack of experience which Candina possessed. Ninetails again laid its head in Kiya's hand. Kiya couldn't help but smile.

"She wants to go with you. God, you're stupid. Just take the damn pokemon, you can learn as you go!" Candina said impatiently.

Both Kiya and Ninetails scowled at Candina. "Well I know why you don't want to go with her at least" Kiya laughed and Candina frowned with her arms crossed. Kiya opened the pokeball and a beam of red light surrounded ninetails before she was put inside. Kiya carefully put the pokeball in her robe pocket and smiled. She did however still have some apprehension left. Sure she had worked with pokemon in the hot springs both as guests and workers, she liked to play with the pokemon at the volcano and in other surrounding area but owning one was not something she was familiar with. Owning pokemon often came with a lot of closeness and affection, something Kiya shyed away from. Perhaps this was the reason she had never tried to get one.

With the pokemon in their balls, the two girls headed off through the forest and to Fayala Village.

* * *

The girls soon arrived at Fayala village. Candina looked around the village, seemingly in a trance of nostalgia and memories. The village was very small; it only had a few small homes. The village was encompassed mostly by forest, except for the west which had farm and ranch land. There was no paving or roads here, all dirt paths which was foreign to Kiya who was from such a major city. The air here was hot as usual but less humid that Callani city. Little brown pidgey chirped from the tops of the homes, singing happily. "I remember, it's this way" Candina said in her stony voice. The two walked toward a light blue, small farm house at the edge of the ranching land. There were rows and rows of miltank and other farm pokemon. Two beautiful rapidash whinnied in the distance. Kiya could see two little ponyta with them. Candina walked as if in a trance up to the home's door which was gray and its paint was chipping some. She paused there for a few minutes, Kiya stood on the porch watching the horse pokemon clomp around. Candina finally rose her hand to the door and knocked. Candina's mother opened the door, covered in flour and wearing a worn light pink apron, she had been in the middle of making a pie. Her mother stared at her a moment in questioning before she realized whose face she was looking at. Immediately the flour covered woman's face melted into tears and they embraced, covering Candina in flour too. Candina was normally the type of person who would have been very annoyed by this but today, she did not care. Her brother and father soon came home from the fields and there was more crying and hugging. It seemed like Candina had been a withered desert flower who had just got a few drops of water and bloomed, back to full color. Kiya smiled and felt happy for the family as they tried to catch up over their missing years. Candina's parents seemed immensely proud of her and had always hoped they made the right decision letting her go train with the monks. They had not visited her in all this time due to the danger of the desert. Kiya spent that night with their little family in the little blue home. Candina and Kiya ate a hardly dinner and they slept in Candina's room, a room that had not been changed since she left at age ten. Candina herself was now nineteen. The next day Candina and her brother Claydon had resolved to brave the desert and find her pokemon as well as check on the monks. Before she and Claydon left, Candina said this "Goodbye Kiya, for now. Take care of ninetails and watch out for team gemstone…"

"Goodbye to you too, I am sure our paths will cross again in our travels and you watch out for team gemstone too, they know your face" Kiya said with a smile.

"I will." Candina said as Kiya turned to leave. "Kiya" Candina called. Kiya turned. "You… since I came to the temple you and Dillon were the only friends I've had… Thank you" Candina said sheepishly.

"That means a lot coming from you Candina. And thank you too, my friend" Kiya said softly.

"Er- Well yeah. Don't get killed being a dumb ass. Kay? Bye" Candina said turning around and leaving quickly.

"You too Cantina!" Kiya yelled as she waved at Candina's and Claydon's disappearing figures.


End file.
